


Iron Phoenix: Heartfire

by B0redaf



Series: Heart of Fire [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: BAMF Tony Stark, Chaos, Charles adopted toni cause, Charles and Jarvis were Toni's parents, F/M, Fake Character Death, Female Tony Stark, Fire, Fire Powers, Grief/Mourning, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I'm Sorry, Male Pepper Potts, Multi, Mutant Powers, Mutant Tony Stark, Mutants, Not Really Character Death, Not Team Cap friendly?, One-Sided Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, Parent Stephen Strange, Parent Tony Stark, Phoenix Tony Stark, Phoenixes, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Charles Xavier, Protective Logan (X-Men), Protective Stephen Strange, Protective Tony Stark, Protective X-Men, Secret Identity, Steve is a chauvinistic dick who has his head so far up his ass he can choke on it, Technology, Technopathy, Toni has a secret mutant identity, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, What Have I Done, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000, he thought she might not be able, not Steve rogers friendly-ish??? maybe???, the kids are gremlins, to leave the academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:49:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28714545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B0redaf/pseuds/B0redaf
Summary: in a world where civil war never happened because Barnes turned himself in and told Toni the truth, Toni and Stephen have been together since A1 (and I might give u cavities TBD) but Toni has a well-kept secret when she's not genius, billionaire, philanthropist, or iron maiden she moonlights with the X-men, as one of the most powerful technopathic and phoenix mutants, but no one needs to know that. except for Charles and all the little gremlins at the academy.Toni has died countless times but the difference is she's always alone when she is engulfed in molten metal. she didn't mean to be caught in an explosion in front of Stephen and Peter when hydra starts hunting iron maiden. to keep them safe, iron maiden has to stay dead.Stephen is a mess, Peter isn't eating, Rhodes and potts are pissed the most important person to them is dead, and Rogers just keeps denying that he ordered her to go into the base.Heartfire is such an ironic name, Toni thinks bitterly, her heart is made of the metal and tech she can mold with her mind, and her fire will rage for all eternity just like any phoenix. her rebirth is a blessing and a curse, she was so lonely, after all, death is a blessing but dying is torture.
Relationships: Happy Hogan/Pepper Potts, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Logan & Tony Stark - Relationship, Logan (X-Men) & Tony Stark, Past-Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Stephen Strange & Avengers Team, Tony Stark & Avengers Team, Tony Stark & Charles Xavier, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, one sided Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Heart of Fire [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2107500
Comments: 6
Kudos: 89





	1. Posting the entire thing in the next 7 chapters

hey guys so I have added art now so if you have some I'd be happy to add it (and give you credit). I would also like to mention all of my works are adoptable. if you want to add your own spin to any of my stories please do and let me know! I would love to read it and I'm happy to post the names of your works so others can read them. Thank you and enjoy!

\- B0redaf


	2. burning buildings, molten metal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the explosion and shortly after

Peter had his mask off and face in his hands, silent tears sliding down his cheeks while Stephen wrapped an arm around the hero's shoulders, his own face tight with repressed grief. He had tried to rewind time and bring her back but it wasn’t working, the explosion was something even time couldn’t reverse.

They all had known hydra was after Toni and iron maiden but she was the only one with the abilities to hack the systems so steve ordered her to go in. But the mainframe was so deep in the compound and she had been injured and the suit damaged when she tried to make her way in. Peter had been her guard while she worked and she had given him the flash drive and said to go. Toni had demanded she be left while everyone got out and a new suit would come in if they cleared the way. At the jet, they had a visual feed provided by Jarvis when everything had gone black.

No one had expected the base to explode.

Least of all an explosion of that size.

They saw something blaze across the sky but when they got there, the only thing they found was smoldering steel. There was nothing. Toni didn’t make it out of the HYDRA base. The team was already on shaky ground with the dislike between Stephen and Steve.

Now, Natasha and Clint were sitting far from everyone, but Natasha could be heard whispering prayers in Russian, her eyes closed, her voice unsteady.

Thor and Steve were standing by the ramp together, Thor looking at the ground. Steve glaring at the base, willing Toni to come out, but Steve’s shoulders were still drawn back and proud.

Fury met them when they landed eyes scanning their faces looking for Toni, his goddaughter, it must have been obvious. Fury’s eye widened and he didn’t speak for a long moment. He looked like he was struggling to keep himself under control. Fury said softly, sadness impossible to miss in his voice. “She didn't make it did she?” They had all stared at the floor and shook their heads. He left soon after that, nobody said a word as they entered the compound.

It was only when they landed that the quiet was broken when someone murmured, “Someone has to tell Rhodes and Potts.” The look on the team’s face said that none of them wanted to break the news to them.

The memory hurt to think about; the desperation in her eyes, the way she had told them to leave with a smile and assurance she’d be fine.

Eventually, Stephen spoke, his voice hoarse and jagged “I'll tell them.” he and Toni had been together for years, he had asked her to marry him only a few months ago after she had adopted Peter, officially.

There were nods and soft agreements before bucky made a jerking gesture and said with a tight voice, “I’m going to go...” he closed his eyes.

“Someone needs to tell Maximoff, I'll do that,” Steve said. He then swallowed thickly.

The words didn’t seem to comfort anyone, it just made Peter dash out the door, racing to his room.

Stephen followed after him and Clint and Natasha were quick to head off together, leaving just steve, thor, and bucky.

\----------------------------------------

When Potts found out he fell to his knees and sobbed into Happy's shoulder when he knelt next to him and wrapped him in a hug. Rhodes left saying he needed to get some air with tear stains on his face.

When the world found out there were hundreds of condolences sent to the tower, prayers and vigils were held. The world mourned the loss of one of its greatest heroes.

When Wong and the sorcerers found out they offered their support while Wong locked himself in the library. The two had been close friends and constantly debated.

When May Parker found out she held Peter for hours, tears streaming down her face.

When Wanda found out the witch smiled with barely contained glee and a hint of madness. She told Steve it wasn’t his fault and that stark had had it coming.

Jarvis already knew and he barely spoke a word.

Peter stopped eating, unable to keep the food down.

Stephen had a glazed look in his eye and moved like a corpse.

\--------------------------------------

When the sun rose the next day, the ashes of the hydra base stirred, surrounded by embers lay a woman with the wings and soul phoenix.

Everything about her held a golden sheen, her olive skin, her chocolate windswept hair. her four wings spread, and her feathers gave an experimental ruffle as she shook off the ash revealing them to be a deep red and gold, there was a reason she had chosen those colors. On the ground at her feet lay a burnt and shattered arc reactor. Her eyes burned gold flecked with crimson. As she observed the molten metal at her feet, it began to creep up her torso and form a fitted fabric armor and an intricate mask of flames.

Calling on her powers she tested what her new levels were. Explosions, molten metals, and flames whirled around her, wrapping her in a volatile shield. She had known they had been hunting her, but too bad they didn't know what she was.

Antonia Natasha stark, Toni, iron maiden, merchant of death, billionaire, philanthropist, futurist, and most importantly….. Heartfire, one of the last phoenix mutants and a deadly x-men.

\----------------------------------------

Charles Xavier had many students but few were as dangerous as heartfire, he had seen the news and she had reached out to him, asking him to let her return to the place she was loved and raised.

When she had first arrived at his doorstep it was pouring rain yet she was dry, engulfed in dancing flames and molten metals, they protected her and had helped her to arrive. She raced through her lessons at blazing speed, growing more beautiful and full of deadly control. When little Antonia stark had first arrived he thought she would be too volatile to let back into the world but she always proved them wrong. When she left for MIT she had hugged him and given him one over her primary feathers, whispering ‘you have both helped me to fly.’

She sent funds to the school and kept in constant contact, she told him about Stephen strange, Peter parker, Phillip potts, happy hogan, James Rhodes, James Barnes, and the imbecile, steve rogers as well as the monster mutant maximoff.

So when heartfire landed on his roof in a fireball of glory he didn’t hesitate to welcome her home.

He would never tell but he knew everyone had missed her, even Wolverine (despite their attempts to mutilate one another to the point where their healing powers couldn’t keep up).

She told him about how hydra was hunting iron maiden and she would be helping the x-men until it was safe for her to reveal herself.

\----------------------

Jarvis knew that sir was still alive, after all her technopathy had informed him that she had gone ‘poof’ and no longer needed the reactor. But he was still deeply saddened.

His uncles, potts, Rhodes, and hogan were LIVID at hydra and had sworn to burn them from the earth and sear the heads so none could take its place.

His brothers, U, DUM-E, and BUTTERFINGERS, and his adopted brother Peter were all grief-stricken. His brothers had stopped causing chaos, and Peter had stopped eating and constantly woke up in a cold sweat.

His father was barely alive, he was gaunt and pale, he rarely spoke and was a shell of who he used to be.

He was angry Rogers kept denying that it was his fault saying if she could have just listened to orders left she would have been fine. He understood why Barton, Wilson, Romanoff, and Barnes all avoided him sick of listening to him. He didn’t always like them but at least they were respectful.

He knew Thor was trying but there wasn’t much he could do.

But maximoff…...

Maximoff was gloating and celebrating.

Maximoff would suffer

He would burn the witch and rogers once sir returned.


	3. Iron Mom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> peter and Stephen's important interactions with toni

Stephen first met Toni at a gala when he saved her from a boring conversation with Justin hammer. Thanks to his memory he remembered how perfect she was wearing a red evening gown with a slit up the side with golden jewelry that resembled feathers or flames he wasn’t sure. Most of the men in the room were staring at her even though she wasn’t even speaking, she didn’t need to. She was like a flame; warm and full of life but would burn you if you tried something she didn’t like. He remembered her sharp remarks and her dripping sarcasm whenever someone shallow tried to talk to her like she was an idiot or a brat.

He remembered how they danced to avoid people, how perfectly she had fit into his arms when he had taken her out to the dance floor. Cocky, confident, arrogant, brilliant with an amazing memory. She was just like Stephen if he was a woman and studied engineering. They spent most of the evening together, he didn’t mind being repellent to anyone who tried to hit on her or get handsy. They had left the gala and he had said he hoped to see her soon. She had smiled and said she’d like it too and just like that he knew she was perfect.

Then Toni had endured Afghanistan and became iron maiden while his accident had happened and he dropped off the face of the earth to study at Kamar-taj.

The next time he saw her was when he helped clean up after the battle of new york. She was glaring at rogers while he lectured her about something, she was standing with her arms crossed and she stood like she was bracing for a storm. When she had seen him she had smiled and blasted over to him, and tackled him in a hug.

\--------------------------

3 weeks after that they had started dating and he had met the spider-kid and received the shovel talk from almost everyone in the compound. Except rogers.

Rogers would look at him and look like he was trying to melt him into the floor while also making the captain-America-is-disappointed-in-you face. He had seen the way rogers had tried to eye Toni, he despised rogers. it was pretty clear the feeling was mutual.

\---------

"So," said blond started, sitting across Stephen at the breakfast table in the kitchen, where Stephen had been drinking his tea. He wasn't in the mood to deal with rogers. "You and Toni?"

"What about us?" he replied without looking up, trying his hardest not to open a portal and throw him into the dark dimension. But Toni would be disappointed and he never wanted to disappoint Toni, when he'd become so whipped?

"How did you guys meet?" ooooohhhh was he annoyed? Strange felt real special now to have managed that. He didn't look up as he answered, well aware that Maximoff was listening. Why couldn't they mind their own business instead of annoying him?

"How can one meet Toni Stark?"

Rogers looks confused and irritated. "At a party of some sort."

Stephen nods, intentionally being irritating, "And?"

"And what?"

God rogers is an idiot, he rolls his eyes. "Where else can one meet Toni Stark? We had a first meeting twice, so I don't know which one you're asking about." god it was so fun to mess with rogers.

"I don't understand," Steve said, glaring now at the sorcerer and Stephen finally looked up, a smug smirk playing on his lips. He knew Steve and maximoff had Peter glaring at them, Rhodey planning their deaths, and Vision ignoring them. Oh dear.

"Where else can you meet Toni Stark? that’s how you first met her." He took another sip of his tea. "When she saved your ass, apparently, she does that a lot."

"So you're saying you met her when she saved you?" The way Rogers said it almost sounded like an insult (pretty hypocritical), but Stephen saw no shame in admitting his girlfriend could be terrifying. It was hot, and she knew it.

"I said I had two first meetings with her, one at a gala and one when she saved my ass."

"It should be you who's protecting and saving her." Stephen put his cup down, looking at Rogers as though the man had lost his mind. He probably had, was he an idiot?

Rogers had his head so far up his ass that Stephen thought it was a wonder he could breathe.

was less of an issue once Barnes came along and then he focused on dealing with that witch, maximoff, who was really an insult to all magic users.

Then after 2 years together, she said yes!

The ring he had given her was a mix of the gold and red they both wore and the blue that he wore. It was fireproof (per request) for when she worked in the shop (Toni thinks that's a pretty decent way of saying 'I can set myself on fire and incinerate everything and melt this ring off my finger' without saying anything), acted as a shield for minor physical blows, and a shield to most magic and some mutant powers.

\--------------------------

Peter had been raised by his aunt May, but he thought of ms. stark as his mom. She always looked out for him and was fucking terrifying if he got hurt, like that one time with flash.

he pressed the ice pack harder to his eye. He was sitting in one of the conference rooms at his school, next to ned, waiting for his Aunt May to show up. Flash was sitting across the table with his parents behind him.

The principal stood, “Mr. Parker, are you sure you don’t need anything?”

Peter had to slink a bit farther in his chair. “I am fine I promise.”

It was then the door to the room opened and Peter gave a mental sigh. He turned around, ready to tell Aunt May he was fine when he was frozen in shock as Toni Stark came running to him, her brown hair flowing. She slid to her knees and quickly began to check him over. “Oh gods Peter what happened?? Oh, gods above let me see your eye.”

He dropped the ice pack, more out of shock. Toni fussed over him then turned to the rest of the room and snarled, “Explain. Now.”

The principal sputtered before coughing, clearly caught off guard at the sight of both Iron Maiden and Toni Stark in his school. “Uh, just a misunderstanding.”

“Flash was bullying Peter again, telling him that his internship with Ms. Stark was a lie and that Peter was only doing it to gain attention. Peter told him it wasn’t a lie and that he didn’t care if Flash didn’t believe him. He was done dealing with him and tried to leave the conversation.” ned piped up.

The bully growled out, “Shut UP!”

Ned continues “So as Peter was walking away, Flash shoved him and punched him in the face. I managed to kick him in the balls. That was when the teachers showed up.”

He looks across the table to the now pale Flash Thompson as his parents were clearly torn in disbelief and embarrassment. Toni stood, she was not just Toni Stark, owner of Stark Industries. No, she was the Iron Maiden and she looked PISSED.

Toni sneered, straightening her back. “So all of this came from you.” Here the amount of venom in her tone was enough to make Flash flinch.

Toni leaned over the table, pressing her hands to the smooth surface. “All because you decided that Peter Parker was lying about this? Or you just didn’t want to believe that someone was chosen for this once in a lifetime thing over you.”

At this Flash finally snapped. “He doesn’t deserve it! Penis Parker is just a no-good poor kid who lied his way to get here! He is nothing and will forever be nothing!”

The room fell silent. Oh…. flash was going to be DESTROYED

Toni snarled “you will be silent this instance or you will learn just how fast my armor can show up.”

Flash nodded.

he shifted his eyes back to Toni. Toni glared at the bully in front of her and said, “Also, Flash Thompson will NEVER get a job with Stark Industries. I don’t care if it is for the worst job, you will never work for my company or any of my branch companies.” his mom was fucking awesome! Oops he meant ms stark is awesome

The flash shot up, “That’s not fair!”

She held up a hand, glaring at him. “It is plenty fair. You. Hit. My. Kid.”

Wait he was her kid? What????? his spidey sense was going haywire, she was TERRIFYING. She turned her glare to his cowering principal. “I am going to be speaking to May Parker about this and seeing if I can get Peter to transfer schools.”

he stood up and was headed towards the door and as leaving, Toni shot one final, “Oh, and by the way, I will no longer be donating money to this institution. Have a good day.”

That was the day she asked if she could officially adopt him and a few weeks after that. Dr. Strange asked him if he had his permission to marry her. His mom was AMAZING and now he had a magic dad.

\----------------

The avengers were called to assemble in the kitchen.

Peter dragged himself off his bed and trudged to the kitchen

Stephen portaled in and collapsed onto a chair.

When they gathered there was no threat,

Only to find an incoming phone call.

From “X”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried?


	4. Burn them down and salt the earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the avengers go to the academy and meet who they will work with

“Greetings avengers” a somber voice echoed through the surround sound accompanied by the face of a bald man appearing on-screen “before we begin I am very sorry for your loss.”

There were mumbles of ‘thanks’

Rogers stood “who are you? And what do you want?”

The man chuckled, ‘I'm Charles Xavier, some of you might know me as professor x, some might know me as an x-men.”

\-------

“What do you want?” god Toni had forgotten how much of a prick roger could be as she listened from outside the camera view.

“We know you want revenge and so do we, one of ours was hurt and you can help us hunt and destroy them.” Toni was touched. she knew the x-men considered her to be valuable but she always forgot that they were a family.

“And why would we do that? And we are supposed to save the world not get revenge” 

Charles chuckled “well captain, that's a shame we were sure you would’ve liked to help destroy hydra.”

\--------

The avengers tensed, hydra? The x-men were after them too? 

“We want in” it wasn’t Rogers who broke the silence, it was Peter “they killed my mom, I want to ruin them.” the rest of the avengers nod slowly

“Why don’t you come to the academy so we can discuss our plans? We can learn how to do this as fast as possible.” the screens went black.

Romanoff broke the silence “why are the x-men going after hydra?”

“One of theirs was hurt, mutants stick together because the rest of the world rarely accepts them so they are very protective of one another and those who accept them,” Jarvis explains

“How do you know so much about mutants?” Barnes asks

“Sir was a generous donator to the academy. She believed that no one should live in fear, especially of themselves, she believes learning to control your abilities is part of that.”

Wanda snorted “she probably just wanted to turn them into her own personal soldiers.”

Strange’s magic sparked with his rage, Parker fell into a fighting stance, banner’s eyes flashed green, and Barnes growled.

Rhodes sneered “you don’t know a damn thing you hydra bitch for all we know you could still be helping hydra and are the reason that base blew” as his armor encased him “I’m going to see professor x I am going to burn down hydra and salt the ground afterward.”

Peter, Strange, Barnes, Romanov, banner, and barton follow him out. Rogers eventually convinced Wanda to come with so she could test her powers.

\-------------------------------

When the avengers landed on the academy lawn they were greeted by a boy in a visor.

“Take the visor off son” rogers demanded.

“No.” rogers looked stunned

“What do you mean no”

“I mean I have laser vision that never stops and if I take this visor off I'll burn you to ash.”

The avengers were stunned, the first mutant they met at the academy was lethal. They followed the boy around the building. They were stunned to see at least 50 people in various stages of sparing while a man in a wheelchair looked on. 

\------

Without looking over he said, “hello avengers, welcome to the academy, please don’t interrupt our students or cause them any trouble they can and will defend themselves.”

“We wouldn’t hurt them, sir,” Rogers said as he stepped forward.

He turned “no you wouldn’t since you captain are too weak to hurt them," he turned red, but I continued "....as for your hydra agent…. She has assaulted several of my students and we will not show her mercy if she does so again.” she's already tried attacking my daughter lets see her try this time. 

Rhodes smiled and spoke “I’m glad we are on the same page when it comes to maximoff, me Dr. Strange and Spiderman have personally lost someone to hydra we would love to meet who we will be hunting those fuckers with.” his thoughts projected images of smiling Toni, just like the dr. and spiderman. Charles appreciated that she had found good friends.

Xavier nodded, “follow me” he turned and floated away and they followed, “we will not force any x-men or students to go if they do not wish too but we have members who have a vendetta against hydra and would like them to suffer. One of my adopted children was killed by them. I have no love for them.”

“Hydra murdered your kid?”

He nods solemnly, “they are alright now, just a little traumatized but they’ve had worse deaths.”

“YOUR KID IS STILL ALIVE??????” rogers yelps, god that man was annoying “since when can mutants revive the dead???”

“They can’t. She’s one of our strongest mutants, and one of the rarest. also,” he turned to maximoff “stop trying to get into my mind it won't work.” he enjoyed the way she paled and the glares the rest of her team sent. “Should you continue to try and control me or any of my children or students I will strip you of your ability. AM I CLEAR?” when she nodded he smiled, a gentle but terrifying smile, “good. They are in here.” he opened the door and floated in.

\---------------

The avengers were shocked when they were greeted by a snarl. The professor turned around and said “Logan” and the snarling stopped. The rest of the mutants were silently observing them.

They all recognized wolverine, they also saw the boy from earlier and a girl with flaming red hair. “This is Logan, Jean Gray, and cyclops.” said the professor. “Jean is a telepath, cyclops has laser vision, and wolverine has claws and an accelerated healing ability.” each person nodded in acknowledgment to the avengers. 

One of the doors burst open with a gust of wind and rumble of thunder and in swept a woman with white hair and lightning crackling around her. “I’m storm” is all she says and then turns to Charles and frowns. “Why didn’t you tell me she was back?”

“She needed to heal, also she was wrapped in metal and fire what was I supposed to do?”

“She’s your daughter also she’s like a minute behind me but would prefer to meet them outside. She’s still going.”

The avengers looked at each other in confusion. On fire? What?

Spiderman stepped forward, “excuse me? Professor Xavier, sir? Can we meet who you're talking about? She sounds amazing!!!!!” he started off timid but finished and was almost vibrating with energy.

The avengers were led to a stone courtyard with a raging ball of fire, it cracked the stones below it but they felt no heat, "stand back." The professor moved forward and smiled softly “heartfire? Are you done healing? There are people who would like to meet you.”

The flames dropped and standing before them was a woman covered with a sheen of gold with 4 flaming red and gold wings in a molten suit and flaming hands. On her face was a mask with a pattern of what looked like phoenix feathers and glowing eyes. On her hand was a solid ring with two stones in it. The mask all but a quarter of the lower half of her face. The part they could see was upturned in a soft smile. The flames dancing across her arms morphed into shapes and shifted rapidly.

“Ummmm what is she doing?” rogers asked 

Strange was observing the woman closely, she seemed familiar but he wasn’t sure why. she was clearly quite powerful and definitely stood out. he was sure he would have remembered her if he had met her before.

“That's how she communicates most of the time,” said Storm, “when she was growing up before she came to the academy she was taught her words were worthless and she was a freak so she started communicating with fire when she came here. It's basically a 'fuck you' to her biological family. The professor is part of her small family but they don’t get to see each other often. Also, the fire is badass and gets all the kids to listen.”

“Why can’t they see each other often? She lives here,” said Romanov.

The professor spoke, “she doesn’t, she has a job and a family and a life away from the academy but she wants them to be safe so they don’t know about it so they rarely see me and she can rarely find time to visit when I'm not dealing with magneto.”

The woman nodded. the avengers jolted her wings gave off a flash of light and disappeared. 

\---------------------

Toni was thrilled to see her family again, but they looked so worn out and they didn't look at heartfire the way they did her, well they didn't know heartfire was her but it still hurt. her honey bear had the beginnings of a beard, her son had hunched shoulders even though he was clearly interested in what was happening there was still a lingering sadness. Stephen, the light of her life, looked like death warmed over. it hurt to see them like that, she almost wanted to pull off her mask but she couldn't they had to stay safe. even if that meant they were sad.

she was glad she had learned to speak with fire, her voice would be too recognizable to her family and as much as she wanted to give them a hint if they thought she had a similair voice they would just feel worse with a constant reminder of her 'death' it was pretty painful the burning with the fire that wasn't her own as the rocks were hurled at her..... nope. not happening, not going to think about death she felt bad about enough she doesn't need a panic attack too.

\---------------------

Spiderman recovered first, his voice filled with awe “we should call you heartfire right? also your powers are awesome, what can you do??? I can make webs and lift 170x my weight!!!!” 

The mouth turns up into a brilliant grin. Flames flash forming a heart and a flame as she nods. She then turns to Charles and the flames surge into a brilliant pattern then settle.

“Her powers are those of a phoenix, she controls fire and explosions, she is reborn in a ball of flames when mortally wounded, she’s a technopath, and she can manipulate metal, but she mostly sticks to fire and explosions. she rarely manipulates metal or tech and she doesn’t need to be reborn unless she dies she tries not to die too often. it's pretty traumatizing.”

“Are you the one that was killed by hydra?” asks Barnes

They get a scowl and a nod. The flames bend into the hydra symbol then explodes.

“Yeah they suck, also if you blow up a base I'm coming with I want to make them suffer for brainwashing me.” Barnes says with a wolfish grin “also please don’t melt my arm. I just got rid of my hydra one and I don't want another.”

Everyone tenses at the mention of exploding hydra bases when she waves her arm and the flames lick up her torso while she nods somberly at Barnes and makes another gesture.

“She is sorry for your loss and will not blow up a hydra base if it makes you upset.” the avengers smile sadly, another flash “but she wants to know if she can set it on fire. Otherwise, she will work separate missions to not bring up unpleasant memories.”

“Can we plan on how to burn these guys to the ground?” Rhodes asks with a grin.

Heartfire waves her arm and a map forms with little hydra symbols on it.

Barnes smirks “lets torch ‘em”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked it


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> smut cuz I'm too tired to write the plot rn also the first 'i love you's and maybe the only ones

She rolled over and slid up behind him, legs going around his waist. The doctor froze, waiting to see what Toni was doing on top of trying not to flee the room. Her arms snaked up and around his chest, hooking her chin on his shoulder the genius spoke.

Heat boiled in his gut. Stephen turned his head to look at her in the eye, blue-green eyes smoldering with barely contained lust. “What are you doing?” he rumbled.

The billionaire shrugged for her answer. “I have a lot of tension okay? Give me a break.”

He moved so that he was now facing her. He let his eyes wander up and down her form. “Mine.” 

A shiver worked its way up Toni’s spine at the sound coming from the man. She steeled herself and gave him a heated look. “Prove it”

he stared at her with hard eyes before gritting out, “with pleasure”

Toni barely had time to steady herself when he kissed her roughly. Toni held back a moan as she was pushed back against the bed. He ran his tongue over the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth and tried to kiss back but let out a small groan when he took her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged on it.

“Stephen,” she panted out, “don’t you fucking dare tease me.”

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “But you started it.”

Toni let out a gasp at the feel of his teeth sinking into her neck. He pulled softly at the skin between his teeth and let go with a lewd pop. “You asshole.”

The ex-neurosurgeon smiled at the mark. “Did I do something?”

Toni narrowed her eyes and hooked her legs over his thighs. “Oh, you know what you did love.” She gently shifted, letting her hips brush against his own. It was subtle enough to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal but it was at that right angle to make the man above her stiffen. 

“And what exactly did I do?”

She brushed her hips against his once more, making him growl “stop.”

“Make me”

He lunged at her, capturing her lips. Toni moaned as they kissed. Her hips began to move as they kissed, and she slipped her hands under his robe. Stephen broke the kiss, mouth going straight to her neck to cover it in bites. Toni dug her fingernails into his skin, dragging them down his back after a particularly hard bite. His hand slid down her body and cupped her thigh while the other curved around her hip. 

He waved his hand and their clothes were torn away. Toni couldn’t help but gape up at him as his eyes roamed over her body. He licked his lips and his chest rumbled as he gave an appreciative hum. For a split second the woman had the urge to cover herself but stopped. 

“You are so beautiful. You're like a flame so warm and strong.”

She turned her head to try to bury it in the pillows. She let out a whine at him when he rose up to make her look him in the eye. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You are one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Not just in looks.” He pressed another kiss to her. He pulled back, just enough to look her straight in the eye and said ” I love you.”

Toni sucked in a breath. She didn’t get a chance to say anything before he slid down her body before settling between her thighs. His eyes held her doe-like ones only for their eyes to break contact when he pressed his lips to her folds. Which made Toni throw her head back with a moan. Her fingers gripped the sheets, hair gaining tangles as she moved her head. 

Toni bit her lip and felt her legs quake as he brushed against her and slammed in roughly. He set a brutal pace, hands roaming over her oversensitive and flushed body as his tongue worked over her nipples, leaving them pebbled and hard. Their orgasms were approaching quickly, Toni could tell, judging by how she was clutching at the member in her and how Stephen's thrusts were getting more and more frantic, less rhythmic, less refined. She dragged him down into a long, wet kiss, sending them both over the edge. They clung to one another with a cry of their names, bodies shaking with tremors. After a while, Stephen slowly and carefully pulled out, collapsing beside her onto his back, still panting as hard as she was. 

She felt smug that she had managed to incinerate his composure. She turned to him and laid her head on his chest. “For what it’s worth,” she said as she traced patterns with her finger, “i love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pry should have slept instead of writing this


	6. Flaming Abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> last hydra base and steve rogers is an absolute delusional asshole. it has been decided.

After 4 months of raiding hydra bases and leaking intel to government agencies so they could remove the rest, the avengers and x-men had one last base to raid. 

The base was located in the middle of the southern antarctic ocean 100 meters below the surface, under the 6 meters of ice they were standing on. They had been relying on Dr. Strange to portal them as close as he could, so here they were. Jean gray and the professor had made a barrier against the wind and heartfire was slowly using a mix of drilling and fire to melt away the pack ice. 

\-------------------------------

Something was off about heartfire according to Steve, she had too many secrets. His working theory was that she was going to try and kill wanda, who was just a child because she had accidentally tried to get into her mind. Wanda was innocent! Why could no one understand that? Even his Toni wasn’t nice to the child, Toni had loved him as much as he loved her but her paranoia had driven her away from him and Wanda. If only she had seen that Wanda was good and that she was supposed to be with him, then she would still be alive. 

Heartfire probably hadn’t even died at hydra’s hands. She was probably making that up as an excuse to hurt Wanda because she had lost control of her powers at that point and she had upset another mutant. Wanda had confided in him that heartfire had some kind of barrier around her mind and she couldn’t get past it. That woman was hiding something! The professor also had a barrier and he was being unreasonable when he threatened to take Wanda’s ability because she lost control, she was just a child! Why did everyone treat her like a monster? 

Heartfire could be a useful ally though, if he managed to befriend her, maybe she would trust Wanda and let down her guard or join the avengers. Or maybe he could see if he could get powers like hers, heartfire couldn’t be trusted. She had to have an agenda, she couldn’t be trusted with power but since he was Captain America people would trust him with that power. Because he always did what was right and people would feel safer with him in control. He also didn’t trust how close she was becoming to Bucky and Toni's ‘family.’ He was her actual family, the only one who had her back but he was sure that they had brainwashed her into thinking that. He should have asked Wanda to fix that. Then Toni would be alive and safe in his arms. 

He would have to get rid of heartfire after this base was destroyed he decided, she couldn’t be trusted for all he knew she could be hydra and killed his Toni. 

“How much longer?” Spider-Man asked as he walked over to heartfire. That kid had been tricked into believing strange was a good person, he shouldn’t look up to strange, he should look up the steve. Steve would have to fix that after they got back to the compound.

Heartfire smiled at him and her fire flashed, he didn’t trust that she wasn't lying especially since she wouldn’t speak to them. He watched as she turned to the professor and the other x-men and her fired pushed out around her in small circles. Causing everyone to take several steps back.

Steve watched as she unfurled her wings and slammed a massive arch of fire into the ice. She then held her focus, just as the heat was getting to be too much it died down to reveal a hole in the ice only a meter across, leading straight to the water. She bowed with a mocking flourish and Steve gritted his teeth, she couldn’t be trusted. She was too keen on showing off and she was too dangerous. 

\-----------------------

Toni watched as Jean and her father entered the water first, forming an air bubble that would fit everyone and bring them safely to the base. Her father had reached out to her through their mind link telling her to be wary of the captain, he was convinced she loved him and that heartfire was a hydra agent that needed to be eliminated. Which was pretty hypocritical since he trusted the scarlet bitch but he was stupid like that. It probably had something to do with his overinflated ego and all the bullshit about Captain America being the shining example of morals. Captain America might be perfect but steve rogers? He was delusional.

Peter went next, over the past few months she had spent anonymously with her family she was heartbroken with how grief-stricken her son, fiancee, and brother would. She always knew they cared but to see them blame themselves for her death and turn into the shells of who they used to be. She did everything she could to ease their pain, distracting them and helping them to make friends with her other, much larger, secret family. 

\----------------------------

The x-men and avengers blast their way through the hydra base, working slower than normal, knowing that if they hit a supporting part of the wall the whole base could collapse, and if the pressure didn’t kill them, the freezing water would. There was a reason they hadn’t let banner and the hulk come with them.

After 3 hours of slaughtering the agents in the base, they all regrouped in the control room, muscles burning as the adrenaline wore off. They heard a commotion coming from one of the screens. As they watched the upper left-hand monitor they saw heartfire, she was missing a wing and another was trailing behind her broken. She sat on the floor; surrounded by still-smoldering bodies. 

“What do you want, hydra whore?” they heard her snarling voice crackle across the audio and slightly distorted. They watched in horror as Maximoff and Rogers stepped into the camera’s frame. “Finally going to show your true colors? Try and mind rape me again? You captain, are you going to go on and on about how you are doing this for the greater good and i’m too powerful to be trusted? How the safest hands are your own? Get your head out of your ass I’m not a monster or a freak. That’s you. I might not trust people but at least i don’t go and murder them because they are an inconvenience.” they watched in horror as she spat blood onto the floor.

The avengers turned pale as Rogers sneered “we can’t trust you, you don’t tell us who you are and according to Wanda you have a barrier over your mind. You're hiding something.”

“You tried to let the witch into my head? I thought you said brainwashing was bad after what happened to James but it's completely fine if you do it?” the professor inhaled sharply under his breath and the wolverine growled.

“No one is going to rescue you, you know that. You shouldn't have so much power. You don’t deserve it! You’ve never suffered but I have your powers should be mine!” Wanda screamed, “we are at the weakest point of this base, all I have to do is rip down that wall and I'll kill them all!”

They watched in horror as the captain rushed forward and tried to slam his shield into heartfire's chest. She rolled away coughing blood and grimacing as her broken wing tore.

“What happened to her powers?” Asked Strange in horror eyes unable to look away from the screen.  
“She can’t use them, she’d melt the wall and she doesn’t want to kill us all.” said storm sadly “and none of us would be able to get to her in time to help especially with the witch threatening murder if we try and save her.”

A sharp crack and more coughing came from the screen. Rogers had slammed his fist into her chest. “Run” she rasped “run dad….. take the family…… run. Tell them the truth. And get them out of here….. Please.” she gasped for air and slumped forward. Rogers reached forward, sneering he slammed his fist into her face.

Just as he stood the avengers and x-men watched as heartfire’s phoenix feather mask slid away. Revealing a battered Toni, her eyes upon and glazed over. Rogers froze and dropped to his knees, picking up her battered body with tears streaming down his face, “come on Toni wake up, you love me you can’t leave me” while Wanda broke out of her stunned silence and started to giggle maniacally.

The professor collapsed as strange and spiderman froze. The avengers felt sick, their captain had murdered Toni, she had been alive and helping them and then he had claimed to LOVE her. And the captain had killed her. Wolverine leaned against Storm as her shoulders shook. Jean snapped with tears streaming down her face “professor we have to go she’s starting we need to go, remember what she said. She asked us to keep the family safe. That is what we will do.”

The professor nodded and a barrier formed around, they hovered just below the ice, watching.

“Why didn’t she tell us? How could Rogers say she loved him? He just MURDERED HER!!!!!!!” Rhodes whispered, his voice rising steadily to a yell. 

A flash of light, everything was muffled and distant, they could feel the shock waves rolling off the base. Bits of the base floated upwards, scraps of fabric, a shoe with the foot and ankle still in it the flesh waving at them like slightly singed fabric in the breeze, somehow still burning. Huge chunks of the concrete and steel were missing altogether. Total silence for a moment. They stumble as their force field is tossed around like a ragdoll. The refractions of flames in the water, turning everything red

At the center of the base, in the massive crater, making the base look like a collapsed volcano, was a ball of molten metals and rubble, bubbles rising up as the water around it boiled.


	7. I promise you forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the end. 100% first person pov never written like this hope it works.

Charles speaks; “Stephen, I need you to open a portal and send her through it.”

“I’m sorry what?” I choke, I just saw the love of my life get murdered a second time and he thought someone was still alive? 

“You heard me, get the glowing ball of fire out of the water and back to the school. If you have energy, open one for us, but get her. NOW! or she will die PERMANENTLY!” he shouts

I snap out of my trance and we all are dropped at the academy, on the same stone terrace where we all ‘met’ Toni. the professor who is going to be my father in law? Floats over to the now raging fireball so fast it looks like he teleported.  
the red, orange, and yellow ball of rage roared upward eating its way through the cracking stones below it. Plumes of grey were buffeted into the grey sky, swept away by the wind of Storm. Debris wafted silently down as the stones of the courtyard began to melt and bubble. I could feel my face begin to burn. It hurt to breathe and my skin felt too tight. My eyes went dry but I couldn't look away. Toni was in there, this was Toni healing herself. The mutants gathered, following the smells of smoke, they all stood in awe of the roaring flames before them as the courtyard slowly dissolved into molten lava. In the middle of the fire sat Toni, she had curled up, wrapped in what looked like a blanket of flames, and was staring forward, unseeing. eyes transformed into orbs of light, flickering red, orange, and shades of flaming gold.

Charles shouted over the flames “Toni please, you're safe, you can heal, your family is here. Your fiance and son are here. Your siblings are here. I’m here. The witch and captain are dead and far away. You could hurt someone if you don’t turn it down. I know you don’t like to hurt people, especially the ones you love. So please calm down before someone gets hurt. Please.” 

I watched as Toni twitched at the sound of his voice, she turned to look at him and tears began to stream down her face. Well, I was pretty sure they were tears. I don’t know if crying fire is normal but I didn't care. Toni was safe and alive. it doesn’t matter that she cries fire as long as she lives. 

As the flames around her flickered peter threw himself into her arms, sobbing into her shoulder. The professor pulls them both into a hug.

She looks up and our eyes lock, she looks like she's expecting anger from me, that anger just doesn't exist. All I have for her is love, all I want is to keep her safe. She probably won't accept it just yet, she always feels so much misplaced guilt. I like that Toni wants to own up to her mistakes, but she needs to forgive herself too. But right now I can’t help it. I can’t take the love that overwhelms me and put a stop to it, so I surge forward and wrap her in my arms.

As she lets out a watery laugh the rest of her x-men and avengers family surround us. As long as she is happy that is all that matters.

A few years later she tells me that she won’t outlive me. That she can only be reborn in certain conditions. If she dies where fire can’t live, then she won’t live either. I laugh through my tears and tell her that she’s stuck with me forever. My duty to the time stone makes me exist beyond time and I was so glad I wouldn't be alone.

We’d never be alone as long as we live.

**Author's Note:**

> hey so imma post everything at once probably but yeah pls be nice


End file.
